Color-coding improves parental understanding of body mass index charting.

Objective: To assess parental understanding of body mass index (BMI) and BMI percentiles by using standard versus color-coded charts; to investigate how parental literacy and/or numeracy (quantitative skills) affects that understanding.

Methods: A convenience sample of 163 parents of children aged 2 to 8 years at 2 academic pediatric centers completed a demographics questionnaire, the mathematics portion of the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT-3R), the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (S-TOFHLA), and an "Understanding BMI" questionnaire, which included parallel BMI charting questions to compare understanding of standard versus color-coded BMI charting. Outcomes included parental-reported versus actual understanding of BMI, the odds (obtained by generalized estimating equations) of answering parallel questions correctly by using standard versus color-coded charting, and odds of answering questions correctly on the basis of numeracy and literacy.

MutL-catalyzed ATP hydrolysis is required at a post-UvrD loading step in methyl-directed mismatch repair.

Methyl-directed mismatch repair is a coordinated process that ensures replication fidelity and genome integrity by resolving base pair mismatches and insertion/deletion loops. This post-replicative event involves the activities of several proteins, many of which appear to be regulated by MutL. MutL interacts with and modulates the activities of MutS, MutH, UvrD, and perhaps other proteins.

The DNA binding activity of MutL is required for methyl-directed mismatch repair in Escherichia coli.

The DNA binding properties of the mismatch repair protein MutL and their importance in the repair process have been controversial for nearly two decades. We have addressed this issue using a point mutant of MutL (MutL-R266E). The biochemical and genetic data suggest that DNA binding by MutL is required for dam methylation-directed mismatch repair.